"I took two days and went to every house in this community, walking in the middle of the hot summer talking to people about a community garden," said neighborhood organizer Peter Johnson. "Nobody was interested."

But seeing is believing, and interest is growing: there are plans to develop other gardens across Dallas County, including at other Parkland facilities.

"We are very confident that we'll be able to replicate this process in several of the other campuses," said Cylton Ewell, program director of the Urban League of Greater Dallas.

Volunteers are being trained to help tend the garden properly and learn to replenish what's already been picked.